Menu

Story

I was listening to Taylor Swift’s “Love story”. Whenever I hear this I happened to remember few good old times I had in my past. And with the sequence comes some bad old memories too stabbing my heart and bleeding me to infinity of death. Whatever it may be this song always stayed in my playlist ever since I’ve heard it the first time. But unfortunately today I seemed to enjoy the song for the song as it is and once it ended I was surprised to find myself being happy.

Surprised by the unrevealed mystery that is lying behind my happiness I started pondering over the conversation I had with my friend earlier that day. I lay down in my bed humming the song I last heard and was deeply immersed in my thoughts when I suddenly noticed a shadow that was quietly approaching me. There wasn’t any kind of hustle with the shadow and I felt like it was actually flying. Bewildered, I turn back to find no one behind me or there wasn’t any sign of an intruder in my room. I sat up straight and looked around the room by closely observing each and every thing that was kept in my room. Everything stayed as before untouched. Surprised by the thought of not having an intruder, I reached the door and bolted it and came back to my bed.

And now in that dead-silence I was able to sense someone staring at me so close. I gathered up some courage to start the conversation myself.

“Who is it? Is there someone behind me?”

I heard a chuckle. I turned back to see no one. I was terrified and started sweating like hell. At that instance I felt soft breeze caressing my body and making each and every cell in my body rejuvenate. This was a feeling something I had a long back. It felt good though. I now knew who and what they have done to me again.

Yes. It’s the cupid again.

“Hey, cupid! Stop doing this thing to me again. I know it’s you. Why don’t you just stop playing with me once for all?” I screamed as if I was severely wounded.

“Relax! I’ve showered goodness for you always and even now I’ve come to do some good to you” said the unseen cupid in a malleable voice.

“Goodness? Damn. You must be seriously joking Mr.Cupid” I said with sarcasm filling my voice.

There was a strange silence for few seconds. I had an evil smile which made me happy with the thought that I have proved him wrong. Then I heard the Cupid speaking up.

“Look. Every time I come for giving you love you accepted it happily. But why do you stop me this time alone?”

“Yeah. I was a dumb back then Mr. Cupid. I believed in Love and I believed in you that you would strike hard only when there is real love. But I have failed to understand that you do not choose well in giving your love to people. You merely give it to everyone you find feasible. And it’s because of you I’ve end up with unsuccessful relationships. And now you’ve come all the way again to give me some love for which I am going to regret after few years just like the way I did before. Is this what you are created for?” I busted out in rage.

I could hear a chuckle from his side. It made me more ferocious. I was not making fun here I thought.

“Dear little girl. What do you think my duty is? I find people who are feasible to fall in love and I just strike them hard showering them love and good. Apart from that I have nothing to do with people and their lives. Do you think I am the reason for your unsuccessful relationships in the past? If you think so then you are totally getting me wrong sweetheart.”

“How am I getting you wrong? It’s you who makes us fall in love, remember?” I mumbled.

“Yeah. I make you fall in love. But how am I supposed to be the reason for what happens after that. Now, let’s take your past relationship as an example. You had a crush for this guy. And I thought you were ready for love and I stuck you with love. And the same happened with him. I played the role of heart between you both. But then my work was over. You both were in a relationship for the past 3 years and you’ve come to know that apart from heart you have lots to be shared and accepted in each other and as you were not able to cope with things you ended up in an unsuccessful relationship. Now you blame me for that.”

“Who am I to blame then Mr. Cupid? It was you who made me fall in love before my mind think and act right?”

“Yeah you are right. I don’t allow you to think and act when I play my role. But let me tell you another example of your love. You found a good friend who was so fond of you. I thought you both could make great friends with unconditional love and I stuck playing the role of the heart. And you are still being happy with her friendship and your love for her grows and doesn’t decrease. In this case you have to praise me for throwing love to you. But you don’t praise me and instead you corner me for your unsuccessful relationship. This is the thing that happens all around the globe.”

“What? Are you mad? There’s a lot of difference between friendship and love Mr. Cupid. I hope you better understand that first.”

“My dear girl. I have understood it well. But it’s you the humans who haven’t understood love yet. Do you know why? People just think love is where a guy meets a girl and falls for her and they get into a relationship with a label of LOVE. Just think of your parents who fell in love with you even before you were born. Your brother who loves you from the day he was born and loves you more even after you fight over every silly thing. Your friends who loved you since childhood. Your pet that loves you from the day you bought him. The grandma who is near your home who loves you from the day you started spending some time with her speaking and making her feel loved. The list goes on and you have to understand that it was me who strike all these people every time and made them love you. Love doesn’t end up with a boy-girl relationship sweetie. Love is in the air. Every single breath you take in gives you some love for your life and makes you alive. When there’s no love there won’t be human existence at all.”

“I can understand. But still I wanted you to accept the fact that only the love in a boy-girl relationship gives so much pain. And the other relationships neither break easy nor pain hard too.”

“You are totally wrong. Every relationship has its mighty strength. When you think the other relationships are strong enough then you have unconditional love sustaining there. When there is lack of love in a relationship there enters lack of faith, trust and companionship which leads to an unsuccessful relationship. Once you have failed it doesn’t mean you could stop with that. Love is created to be shown, shared and spread.”

“Maybe you are right. But I don’t have the strength to fall in love with anyone again. It’s just that am scared of failure.”

“I’m right. I haven’t come here for showing you love. You’ve already known it well. So once again getting to know about love is not that hard but it’s in your hands to maintain it or ruin it. I thought you are ready for my arrows and roses one another time and so here I have come with it to strike you. And you would have known that I already did. So never frown for what has happened earlier in your life. Keep showering your love whenever and to whomever possible and never ever expect for the same from them because sometimes I might be yet to strike them. Love showers on your way my girl”

I heard a chuckle again and the shadow was moving towards the window sill. I turned back to see Mr. Cupid and there was no trace of him. Instead I found my friend walking with a bunch of red roses towards my doorsteps.

I stepped out of my apartment gate and the sun blazed into my eyes making me literally blind for a few seconds. Ahhh… Chennai and its weather! I shrugged. I managed to keep my eyes open and started walking towards the near by super market which i have noticed on my way home yesterday evening.

As i entered the super market i could find the cold air caressing my body and i felt heavenly that very instance. It was a big and spacious supermarket with seperate depatrments for all the items that has been neatly displayed. I went straight into the groceries department and started filling my trolly with the grocery items. After a solid half-an-hour i was finished up with the groceries and wheeled the trolly for billing where a huge queue was waiting and i joined them.

While i was waiting, i heared someone calling my name and i turned over to my back to check who it was. There i found Johnson standing with his hands crossed accross his chest and a smile that lingered over his lips. I was shell-shocked. I haven’t thought i would meet him again after 5 long years.

“Hey Anu! How have you been all these years? Hope you remember me?”

“Johnson! Hey… I do remember you well and it isnt that easy to forget a person like you actually. And i am damn good. You could see it by yourself”

“Yeah i can”

“And by the way what are you doing up here in a supermarket? You live nearby?”

“Hmmm i live in Shenoy nagar as my kid’s school is over there and i own this supermarket. Just came for a short visit to check on things. Have you finished with your purchase?”

“Yeah, waiting for billing. And that’s great to know its your supermarket. I recently shifted to my new apartment in the next street and so i didnt get know about it. By the way, am sorry about your wife, i heard it from our friends. How’s your kid? What’s his name?”

“That’s okay Anu. We have been much better in the recent days. His name is Danny and he’s is fine too. I have to pick him from school in few minutes. I need to rush. Sorry i couldn’t speak much and its nice meeting you after all these years. Keep in touch. Here, have my card.”

“The pleasure is mine Johnson. Take care both of you. I’ll call you soon. Drop by my apartment when you are free and dont forget to bring Danny. “

“Sure, i will Anu. Bye-bye”

“See you soon”

I watched Johnson rushing towards the parking and pulling out his Volkswogan and racing it towards the road. There i stand in dead-silence after that brief conversation with Johnson. I didnt know what was i feeling right that moment. Am i sad for his current situation or happy for meeting him after some long years or surprised to see him being so kind or shocked to find himself changed into a new person whom i havent seen back then when i was doing my graduation with him. I didnt actually know.

My mind raced back to my memory lane fetching few memories of Johnson during my college days. Johnson was like the hero of our college back then. He was 6 feet tall with an athletic body and had an attractive profile for which the girls went crazy over him. He had sharp eyes which would pass through you which will be filled with self-confidence and it makes people have a high regard for him. Usually when he enters the college, right from the watchman to the Principal would treat him with respect though he never cared about it much. He was always found with a cigar in his lips outside the campus and i used to think that smoking makes men look mannish especially when it comes to a person like Johnson.

He rarely visits the classrooms and he was always found with a group of followers who follow where ever he moves around the college. He used to organize all the events in the college with such an ease. He is well known among various colleges for his extra-curricular activities, as he is a writer, orator and a dancer, by winning various trophy’s for the college on his behalf. Though he never attends any theory classes he still managed to get through the exams.

After my completion of graduation, i got the invitation for his marriage which I was not able to attend due to my change of work place. It was an arranged marriage by his family with some girl from some village. I was puzzled how he was able to stay away from the cluster of girls who were fascinated and completely in mesmerized in love for him and marry a girl from a village of his parents choice. I thought that was the kind of respect he had for his family and that made him stand away from usual guys who take up the available chances of messing up with girls during college days. After 2 years a mutual friend of ours delivered a news that his wife was expired in a car accident leaving back the new born boy child. I felt sad for his situation.

Its been 2 years i have heard about him. And here i stand after seeing him all changed. He has become so lean and he is growing beard which makes him look older than his age. He seems so calm and his voice is soft and his eyes filled with an unsaid pain. I thought he would have opted for a second marriage having a little kid, which most of the men in our society does. But i am surprised to see him taking care of his son all by himself and he doesnt complain over that and instead he seem to be happy doing this. I was totally lost in my thoughts about Johnson when i heared the guy in the counter calling for billing my things.

I billed and paid the amount and started back home. I realized that i was left with a heavy heart that evening. I had a thought that men look into their own happiness and get themselves married to another women once their first wife expired leaving back a small kid. And mostly the kids fall to be the reason for men getting married. Johnson proved to be different right from the day i met him in my college till this second leaving me speechless with his acts.

I believe Danny would have a happy life with his father Johnson. *Sigh*

I was walking to the railway station after a tiring day at my office and I found every petite thing making me feel annoying. I found the station flooded with people and at that very instant I was haunted with the thought of how my approximately half an hour travel to home is going to be. I peevishly moved along the counter and got my tickets hardly after 15 odd minutes.

As I moved towards the platform I heard the sweet automated voice of a lady announcing the departure of the train that in another 5 minutes. I hurried through the mob and finally got into the train. I felt a huge sigh of relief. I pooled over the compartment of people and found some space to fit myself comfortably which was near the other end of the exit. I wearily leaned over the rear of the passenger seat. I could feel gust of wind brushing my hair viciously along with the speed of the train.

I slowly rolled over my eyes catching the glimpses of the crowd inside that compartment. At that very instance my eyes were found glued up with a girl. She might be in her early 20’s. She had a good profile. She was wearing a blue jean with a vibrant kurta which increased her dusky skin tone and revealed her tranquilly attractive. She was sitting opposite to me so that she is quiet noticeable to me apart from the entirely distracting crowd. I suddenly had an urge to watch her more intensely as I found myself being hooked towards her for some mysterious reason.

I had to move aside a little to get her clear view. I, usually, am quiet interested in noticing every innate details of a person and even now am focusing over her to find more of her. She had an earphone on her perfectly shaped ears and was hearing some sad song I thought as her face looked quiet unhappy. She had no much make-up to make her good-looking face look synthetic. Her lip gloss which perfectly merged with her complexion gave a perfectly natural look. She had kajal and eyeliner around her eyes which made her small eyes look appealing. She had a pale brown eyeball in the middle of her purely white eyes which made her eyes look stunningly beautiful when she rotates her eyes every now and then. God! She is quiet a girl I whispered.

Suddenly she was found restless. I couldn’t still resist looking at her eyes and I could see her eyes getting moist and she literally had tears in her eyes which she was trying hard to stop but finally lost in her battle and a drop of tear rolled over from her dazzling eyes and fell over her cheeks followed by another drop of tear which she abruptly stopped with her beautiful long fingers. She must be in some pain I thought. What-so-ever be it, in my whole 26 years of life I haven’t seen a girl crying so gracefully and I fell so in love with her tears. I haven’t ever thought even in my dreams that a girl’s crying could be so beautiful and I would actually get melted in along with her tears. I have seen many girls cry and I would find them look weird with tears in their eyes which will ruin their face make-up and then you could guess the rest. But this girl was such a painting and I found her totally graceful and an impeccable creation of God.

But I felt bewildered to see a girl crying in a public place not anxious about the people around her over some anonymous song or it might be some other reason too. What is more surprising was I am actually not concerned over her reason for the tears but instead I was just admiring her beauty even in her melancholy. I am in no state to go and ask her the details regarding her pain behind her tears being a complete stranger which would leave her baffled with a pang over me for watching her all this time. Thus I chose to be a silent spectator. I spent the rest of my 10 minutes with her by just watching her humming over some song from her playlist with a cute smile along with a sting of pain lingering in her eyes.

The train halted at my station and I alighted with a nostalgic feeling. When the train slowly started to move I just turned back and got a glimpse of her serene face and found her deeply immersed in her songs which left me with a sweet smile over my lips and a peace in my heart. Women are sure a stunning painting of God with mixed emotions, I thought once again as I walked back home happily.

I have finally joined in my aspiring course MSW (Masters of Social Work). I was having so many ideas running through my mind once I got relieved from my job. But since my childhood I was aspiring to become a social worker and once when I grew up I found MSW as a course which concurs with my long-lasting wish.

As a result of it obviously I went for an admission with MSW course and waiting for the college to get started with a new phase of my life. This is how I was thinking until I joined this course. But in this few days of time I realized few totally diverse thoughts about me and my ideas and guess this was really a transaction phase of my life. The few questions that I asked myself are:

What am I really gonna do by learning this course?

Am I gonna do social service to the people through this learning process?

But why can’t I do it by being in some other work?

Is it really necessary to stop working and go in for learning?

And by learning this will I be able to serve people better?

I was such a naïve for all these days and even now. I am really not able to take a right decision I guess. But what so ever be the result is I have decided to go on with my studies and once decision is made there must not be any looking back. And the answers for these questions are:

I always thought of helping and serving people. But never really had chance to do it nonchalantly. Though I am basically a person who would go for help voluntarily and at times I even put in few extra taken for fulfilling my wishes by going to orphanages and old age homes, I have no clear approach of how to move with people and handle all kind of people by handling my work with service and it directed me to minor time utilization for my obsession of serving. So by joining this course I would not have any work related stress and with some extra time usage I would be able to concentrate on my passion and make myself fit in right along with it.

Service basically doesn’t depend on the work or place or time a person is in. But it’s the effort he puts in whole heartedly in serving to his fellow people right from his own family and friends. Though I knew these well, I still wanted to make myself dedicated to my passion than running around for unrealistic money which weighs human beings these days despite of a persons character, love and affection towards each other even though they are our own family.

Being a girl I have limited space to move on in this society but being a human being I have this whole world to wrap it under my love and affection. Thus this is quiet a transition in my life.

Its Tinytoes again… After a very long time its time for my hearfelt wishes for my cute, lovable and sweet bro’s and sis’s out there in this whole world…

Wishing you all a HAPPY RAKSHA BANDHAN!!!

Love you all guys!!!

Though I have a very few brothers and sisters, I am so lucky in having you all and you sure are Gods gifts to me 🙂 Thanks for being with me 🙂 If I have hurt you or ignored you for some reason I ask for forgiveness as this might be the right time for asking and saying the unsaid things that matters much among relationships and I dont ever want to miss anyone of you all 🙂 Forgive me and do love me as now forever 🙂 🙂 🙂

Raksha Bandhan is a term from the Hindi language which means a relationship or an association based on protection. This is a festival which has a long standing Indian heritage. More commonly known as Rakhi, this Indian festival signifies the sacred bond of love between a brother and sister.

The Changing Face of Raksha Bandhan
Rakhi, though considered by some as having a religious origin. But, there have been many occasions in history that have emphasized the relationship between a brother and a sister more than the religious side of it. Gradually, over the centuries and over time Rakhi has lost its original outlook that made everyone associate it with the Hindu religion.

Origin of Raksha Bandhan
As with other Indian festivals, Rakhi also follows the festival calender that is completely based on the weather changes and their significance in the lives of people. Rakhi has a rich Indian mythological base. Many historically significant epics are related to the origin and the subsequent development of Raksha Bandhan. The festival also finds a mention in most of the epics and its origin can be traced to as far back as the Pouranik times.

Legendary Stories of Raksha Bandhan

Alexander The Great and King Puru
Alexander, the great (as he was called) was on a mission to conquer the world. On his crusade through the Indian subcontinent somewhere around 300 B.C., King Alexander of Macedonia was shaken by the fury of the Indian king, Puru. It was then that Alexander’s wife, approached King Puru as a sister. On Alexander’s next attempt, King Puru, as a tribute to the sacred bond of Rakhi, did not oppose King Alexander and let him have his way.

Rani Karnawati and Emperor Humayun
One of the most popular tales that come to our minds when we think of Rakhi is that of Rani Karnawati and Emperor Humayun. This dates back to the medieval era when Rajputs were fighting Muslim invasions. When Rani Karnawati, the widowed queen of the king of Chittor realised that she could not defend the invasion by the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, she sent a Rakhi to Emperor Humayun. The Emperor, touched by this gesture of sisterly love immediately set off with his troops to defend Chittor’s honour.

Lord Krishna and Draupadi
Legend goes that during the war that Krishna fought and won against the evil King sari wherein he killed sari, Krishna was hurt and and his hand was bleeding. Seeing this, Draupadi tore a strip of cloth from her sari and tied it around his wrist. Lord Krishna, seeing her affections and realising her concerns about him, declared himself bounded by her sisterly love. He also promised that he will be at her side whenever she needed a brother. Many years later, when Pandavas lost Draupadi in a game of dice and Kauravas were removing her sari, Krishna helped her. He did so by continuously adding to the length of her sari and thereby saved her from a public disgrace.

King Bali and Goddess Lakshmi
Mahabali, the demon king was also a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. It was thus that Lord Vishnu, left Vaikuntham, his dwelling to protect Bali’s kingdom. But, Goddess Lakshmi (Lord Vishnu’s wife) became sad because of the Lord having left her alone. So, she went to Bali as a Brahmin woman and took refuge as in the King’s palace. On Shravana Purnima, she tied a Rakhi on King Bali’s wrist. She then revealed her true identity and told the King of her real reason for coming. The king was touched by Her and Lord Vishnu’s good will and affection towards him and his family. Following which Bali requested Lord Vishnu to accompany her to Vaikuntham. It was thus that the festival of Rakhi also came to be known as Baleva (as a reference to Bali’s devotion to Lord Vishnu).